Devotionals

Oh Lord Help Us, video, honesty, truth, purpose, mission, influence

Honesty and Truth: You Have Purpose, Pursue Your Mission!

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 13, 2018July 30, 2019

We can often feel that we have no purpose, or that there is no reason to pursue what we feel passionate about. This is a lie!

Honesty and Truth

Ready for some honesty and truth? Here’s the honest: I often feel that I have no influence. I feel like the message that I am sharing, that I am so passionate about has already been said, and it has been said way better than I could say it. So why bother?

But here’s the truth. We do have influence. God gives us a passion, a mission, a dream, a purpose. In Titus chapter 2, verse 11, it says…

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…”

All people need to hear God’s good news, and it takes all of us to get that message out. It says a few verses later, in verse 15…

“Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

If you are feeling that you don’t have purpose, and that you don’t have influence… dear lady! You are so mistaken, just like I am. Let’s not believe this lie that our words don’t matter. We are to share the good news, spreading God’s truth. So go out there and pursue your mission.

joy, fulfillment, marriage, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Fulfillment: Relinquishing Our Earthly Search for Joy

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 12, 2018September 8, 2019

When we search for fulfillment on this Earth, we are robbing ourselves of ultimate joy. This world can offer no such thing, and that includes marriage.

Our mates cannot possibly fulfill every need our bodies and souls require. This is not the design for marriage the Lord has in mind. In fact, marriage is to help us better understand the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His mission here on Earth.

Honor Christ by submitting to each other.

Ephesians 5:21, TLB

Earthly Fulfillment: It’s a trap

We all know, the early days of marriage can be such a roller coaster. At least, it was for Casey and I. After dating for only 6 months, we entered the adventure of marriage. Both fresh out of divorce, and both trying to redeem what we knew marriage should be.

This is dangerous. With every disagreement, screaming fit, or falling tears, an overwhelming feeling of entrapment blanketed. Marriage was unfulfilling, depressing, and worthless. I already failed at it once…maybe I’m just not fit to be a wife and he’s not fit to be a husband. I don’t make him happy and he doesn’t make me happy. How can we do this the next 60 years??

Oh boy. Satan is relentless. Marriage threatens his mission. Godly marriages give him the shivers. He knows there’s power when two people join together to glorify God. His only way to penetrate, is shooting fiery arrows of lies at us. Unfortunately, I was weak, broken, and ready to believe anything…

“Your husband should be your greatest joy.”

“He should be able to fulfill your every want and need.”

“Your marriage is broken, just like you. Give up!”

So, with these whispers, how could I ever find joy in my marriage??

…hop over to Hope & Joy in Christ, where I answer this question and let you in on how my marriage is doing now. See you there!

Satan is relentless. Marriage threatens his mission. Godly marriages give him the shivers. He knows there's power when two people join together to glorify God. His only way to penetrate, is shooting fiery arrows of lies at us. Click To Tweet

Jess Watters

peace, love, shame, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Peace: No Longer Living with Shame in God’s Presence

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 11, 2018September 8, 2019

The everlasting love God lavishes on us through His Son is revolutionizing. We no longer live with shame, but have peace in His presence.

In high school I went on a trip with my youth group. We slept in sleeping bags on the floor of an attractive, comfortable church. It was located close to the inner city where we conducted back yard bible clubs during the day. Looking back, it seems silly to have driven several hours away to engage children in a different state when there were plenty who needed love in our own. But that’s beside the point.

During my excursion to the south, I grew rather chummy with a cute boy in my group. By mid-week I was feeling convicted about stealing away to the church’s nursery to make out. I Kissed Dating Goodbye, by Joshua Harris had just been published that year. Purity ring sales were skyrocketing among church-goers and girls everywhere were swearing off dating. Initially, I was in hearty agreement. I thought dating was a waste. Truthfully, I was pretty annoying about it. I remember mouthing off about a couple of 14/15 year-olds who had started “going-out” in our church. I pompously asked, “Where are they gonna go? They can’t drive!” You could’ve cut my sarcastic disdain with a knife. One of my best friends looked at me and said, “Oh shut-up, Emily!” I kept my opinions to myself after that. He did me a favor.

Ironically, there I was, only a few weeks later, confronted with cravings I’d never experienced before. The timing was completely inconvenient! Talk about embarrassing. The poster girl for no-dating wanted to be a relationship with a boy. It was in a season in my life where my faith was becoming my own and not just a borrowed one. Falling in love with Jesus was exciting! But temptation was knocking and I was searching for ways to have it all. Proverbs warned me about how pride comes before a fall.

Anyone who’s ever been to a church camp knows Thursday night is an emotional one. Our youth leader had purchased a trinket of some sort for every teenager. Taking his time, he passed out each item, sharing why it reminded him of the receiver. When he got to me, he handed me a small figurine of a baby looking up with a monumental pout on its face. He knew what I was wrestling with. Probably more fully than I even did at the time. With compassion in his eyes, he told me he knew I had some tough choices to make, but I could do all things through Christ who would give me strength.

Shame…

Unfortunately, I had developed a wrong view of God and I wasn’t able to receive the encouragement appropriately. I felt scolded. Even more, I thought God was angry and disappointed in me. I knew better. The Old Testament was full of the same repeating story:

God instructs His children
They disobey
God gets angry and turns away
Then God has compassion and makes a new covenant
His people are restored

I didn’t know what I had to do to reconcile with God, but it felt overwhelming. The shame was crushing. I felt marked by sin in a way I’d never imagined. How long would God hide His face from me? Could I bear it?

Everlasting love brings peace…

If I could talk to 15-year-old Emily today I would tell her:

What you’re suffering from, dear one, is the effects of a performance-based relationship with your Creator. And your shame is a result of your wounded pride; not because you’ve grieved the heart of your Father. Jesus is your Lord, but not your Savior. Yes, God did say in Isaiah that He ditched His children and fell off the map for a while.

For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment, I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:7-8, ESV

The beauty is, Jesus was the embodiment of the everlasting love in Isaiah 54:8. God made a way to place all His overflowing anger on Jesus…forever. He hid His face from Jesus on the cross. So now, God doesn’t hide from us anymore. We have peace with God because of Christ’s sacrifice. There is never a moment where He cannot immediately be found because of the gift of His Spirit. Emmanuel, God with us. Like the prodigal son, all you have to do is return to Him. Show up. He is waiting, not with a wagging finger and a scowl, but with open arms and a smile on His face. Seek to understand the love God has for you. I assure you, you will not be let down.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:9-11, ESV

But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5, ESV

We have peace with God because of Christ’s sacrifice. Click To Tweet

The love of our God is fierce! Nothing is going to stop His pursuit of you!

garbage, sin, forgiveness, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Garbage: Exposing Filthy Sin That Has Been Buried

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 10, 2018June 27, 2019

A lot of garbage is being revealed in the #MeToo movement, both inside and outside of the Church. How are Christian women suppose to respond?

I was in my thirties the first time a spiritual leader gravely disappointed me. Perhaps I was blind up to that point or simply naive, or maybe it was a different world then; I don’t know. However, during that season of my life there were several gut-wrenching blows to my Christian-leader bubble: Grievous moral failures of staff members, (that sounds too nice for what actually occurred). Our oldest son’s Christian school teachers was charged with murdering his wife (I kid you not!). The affair and subsequent divorce of a couple with whom my husband and I were friends and sang on worship team.

Also, I was attending the Southern Baptist Seminary, enrolled in their Christian counseling program when the trustees underhandedly decided to shut down the program AFTER the semester had already begun! It was a mess, believe me. Let’s just say that the other students and I had a crash course in politics intertwined with religion…so much garbage in such a good place.

Garbage In…

I’m not proud to say these combined events created a cynicism within me that took too many years to loosen its grip. (Can I hear anyone say, decades?) At first I felt entitled to my ‘righteous indignation,’ however, the Holy Spirit didn’t let me stay there long before conviction began. Much time in prayer has been spent seeking forgiveness for my attitude. Admittedly, it took a long time before I could pray for the pastor who had verbally beaten us up week after week, year after year, only to be discovered hiding his own insidious sin…more garbage. (A good insight into this phenomenon of why we stay in abusive churches- read the classic Secrets of Your Family Tree by Cloud and Townsend)

Human forgiveness is a strange thing…it is seldom ‘once for all’ like God’s. Each time I thought I had forgiven that pastor or the others, a new pastor at a different church would do something that reminded me of him or the ‘denominational authority’ stuff and the angry thoughts would rise up, again, and seek to strangle me. I have needed to forgive so many times over the years..! Do I smell something?

Garbage Out…

Now, why am I shoveling up all of this smelly, old garbage?

#MeToo seems to be shoveling up a lot of garbage…and the garbage needs to be taken out.

In recent weeks, the Southern Baptists have come under the microscope of the world with the fall and subsequent removal of Paige Patterson as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Patterson has been a prominent Baptist leader for decades. (If you have been unaware of the earthquake that took place in late May, simply Google Patterson’s name.) Due to the forcing of their hands by a Washington Post article, which cited proof that Patterson had told a female student and victim of rape to forgive her offender, (and then proceeded to put her on academic probation), the trustees fired Patterson from his position. They had initially planned to give him a generous severance package along with a new title: theologian-in-residence. This seems to have been the “MO” for the SBC when prominent leaders have been accused of various ‘moral failures.’

There have been many shots across the theological bough since that time. Dr. Albert Mohler wrote a scathing article about the judgment of God coming to the Southern Baptist Convention. Others blame him and those like him in leadership. Dare I say, the judgment of God is not reserved for the Southern Baptists?

For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

I Peter 4:17, NIV

But I digress.

Buried Garbage…

I know, I know; this ‘garbage theme’ I’ve got going isn’t very appealing to ladies. But let’s face it gals, there has been an incredible amount of refuse being slung around both inside and outside of the church that affects women and children. When sin has been buried in the smoldering dark as long as this has, there is bound to be an eruption that spews far and wide. Abuse is destructive and evil in any situation. Within the church it is especially evil because it denigrates the image of Christ and completely perverts His call to love. Dr. Tim Clinton, President of the American Association of Christian Counselors, says

“It’s tough to believe in the fidelity of God, if all you’re experiencing is ongoing abuse in your life.”

Indeed.

The Answer to Garbage…

Many of the women who gained the courage to speak to their pastors were told to forgive the perpetrators/husbands who were abusing them; while the perpetrators/husbands were seldom called into account. To say this caused a crisis of faith within the hearts of women is a vast understatement. To suggest that this was a grave misunderstanding of Ephesians 5:22-25 seems outlandishly apparent; but obviously was not to a great many within the church! (The rest of Ephesians 5 had to have been ignored).

However, ultimately, forgiveness must come eventually in order for the abused to be set free… Free from your abuser, free from your past, free from the enemy who continues to haunt you with feelings of worthlessness and victimhood. Maybe not today; the pain may still feel too great, too enormous to bear right now. But the Father will invite you when He knows the time.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18, NIV

Forgiveness must come eventually... Maybe not today; the pain may still feel too great, too enormous to bear right now. But the Father will invite you when He knows the time. Click To Tweet

To Close…

Can I close with the words of Ann Voskamp? I can’t express it any more eloquently:

It happens – there are ways to look fine on the outside…and no one knows what you’ve really survived. But the truth is? You didn’t just survive, so let’s toss that myth out right at the outset. The way you keep walking? You may be wounded. You may be hurting. You may be limping. You may feel alone and overwhelmed and unspoken broken – but you’re no victim.

You’re not just a survivor. You’re a thriver. You may bleed – but you rise.

Yeah, it may not feel like it – but you are seen…how you just keep keeping your chin up and limping brave through the hurt…how you keep taking one step out of bed and another step through the door…

But I wanted you to know your wounds are seen and you are going to be okay – it is all going to be okay.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Ann Voskamp, The Way of Abundance

paul morris

provision, need, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Provision: Trusting God to Provide Daily For All of Our Needs

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 9, 2018September 8, 2019

God’s character lets us know He is in the providing business. We can trust Him to bring provision through daily bread to us. There is no need to fear.

I have always loved to read the stories behind the exodus. Moses and his own faults. The Israelites and their constant mistakes. I read their mishaps and feel pretty good about my own constant inability to stay faithful. Exodus is one story of God being over and over again faithful in the face of constant unfaithfulness. I am overwhelmed by God’s provision- parting the Red Sea, talking through the burning bush, and performing numerous miracles. The one I come back to over and over again is the one about manna. The people are in the desert with no means for food and God provides them with this cracker like substance. They are so confused by its appearance that they are said to name it, “what is it?” or “manna.” This substance feeds them for 40 years and it ceases to appear when they reach Canaan.

What is the provision?

What is God providing through this manna? All of the circumstances surrounding the manna is nothing short than miraculous. Any extra gathered will spoil. There is always enough for every person in the camp. Not a single person goes without or is hungry. The portion gathered on Saturday does not go bad enabling the people to take a Sabbath rest. On and on the provision happens.

Who is receiving the provision?

And don’t forget that these are not deserving people. Have you considered who God is providing for? These are the same people who will die in the desert. They are the ones who refused to take the city that He had promised them. They had constantly murmured and complained about Him and given Moses continual grief. Yet, He provides a substance for them that will supply them with food for 40 years. That’s a long time by any standards.

Who is giving the provision?

Why does He take care of a people who are so unfaithful? The provision of the manna has little to do with the people receiving and everything to do with the God providing. His character is what matters. Nehemiah speaks about this event saying,

Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

Nehemiah 9:21, ESV

In your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God…who keeps covenant and steadfast love.

Nehemiah 9:31-32, ESV

God’s provision is always a reflection of His own faithfulness and steadfast love. Jesus called himself the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me shall not hunger.

John 6:35, ESV

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

John 6:51, ESV

Provision that never ends…

He was the manna that would not end, would not spoil, and would always bring life and rest. Manna was a temporary solution to a very real and permanent problem. The Israelites died in the desert knowing that God’s care had never wavered. He had cared for them then and he is caring for us now through the bread that will give eternal life. Jesus is the bread that brings us life. This is through salvation and it is through his sustaining power. He gives us life through His spirit and through His word.

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper… even the Spirit of truth…

John 16:15, ESV

Enough provision for today…

As encouraging as it is to know that Jesus gives me life and he sends a helper, I still struggle to look ahead and see that all my days are taken care of. I struggle to rest in his goodness and his care knowing that he has promised enough provision for today. Enough provision for my daily bread. Remember that prayer? Jesus asked for daily bread and I can ask that way too. It doesn’t mean that I do not follow good and sound steward principles, but it does mean that my plans are just that- human plans. God owns it all and He has the resources to provide for me daily. He is that kind of God. I can trust His provision of me and know that I will have daily bread for today and that gives me hope for tomorrow.

God owns it all and He has the resources to provide for me daily. He is that kind of God. I can trust His provision of me and know that I will have daily bread for today and that gives me hope for tomorrow. Click To Tweet

Ales Krivec

time, present, past, future, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Time: Making The Most of It by Living in The Present

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 28, 2018July 30, 2019

When we dwell on the past or fixate on the future, we can’t make the most of the time we have. Let’s learn to fully live in the present.

When I was a little girl, for all practical purposes, I lived outside of time as we know it. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my family lived on a small, sustainable farm without electricity, indoor plumbing, or other modern conveniences.Local school kids and youth camp groups used to come out to our homestead for field trips to literally see how the pilgrims used to live. Except my family wasn’t just reenacting history, we were living it!

In lieu of electric lights, we showed the kids how we rendered beeswax and paraffin for hand dipped candles to light our home. Rather than driving to the local grocery store, we explained how all our food came from our farm–eggs from the chicken coop, meat from the animals we hunted or butchered, vegetables from our gardens, and fruit and berries from the orchard. And instead of looking at a watch or clock to check the time, we noted the angle of the shadows cast by the sun as it made its trajectory across the sky. We understood that time existed, but we were not slaves to it. We were simply living and doing the work that was necessary to survive.

Behind or ahead?

When I compared our lifestyle to that of our neighbors in their modern homes,it felt as if we were living a century behind. But as I observe today’s trends of doing it yourself (DIY), going green, and living sustainably, it appears as if my folks were about a generation ahead of their time when they moved off the power grid in the early 1970’s. Today, people are returning to methods that a decade or so ago would have seemed old fashioned. Folks are choosing environmentally friendly health and beauty products instead of chemically produced ones. They’re growing vegetables in their own backyard gardens and eating whole organic food rather than processed products. And they’re using essential oils and other natural remedies rather than relying so heavily on pharmaceuticals. It’s as if history is repeating itself.

That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.

Ecclesiastes 3:15, NKJV

A reckoning with time…

It’s as if we in the western world are in the midst of a reckoning with time. In the name of convenience and productivity, we’ve created a whole host of environmental, social, and health problems that we’re trying to dig our way out of. And time seems more elusive than ever. No matter how many time-saving strategies and gadgets we develop, no one seems to have enough time to accomplish all that they want to in a day.

People are stuck in the past, worried about the future, and don’t know how to live fully in the present. It’s like we are all little figurines in one of those old fashioned cuckoo clocks. Everyone’s rushing in and out of little trap doors and screaming cuckoo all the time. Before the hands of the clock fly off and hurt someone, let’s pause and consider how the Lord invites us to regard this time that He gives us.

Dwelling on the past…

We’re encouraged not to dwell on the past, but so many people seem to be stuck there. Whether it’s regret about a decision that we made or resentment for someone who hurt us, we can re-live old wounds over and over again. Others might dwell on seemingly positive things from the ‘golden years’ of their youth. That can’t be harmful, right? Actually, yes, it can be if we’re looking back nostalgically on years gone by and pining for things that are no more.

Dwelling on the past trains our minds and our souls to sort and filter for similar kinds of experiences in the present. Then we wonder why the same destructive patterns that have wreaked havoc in our families for generations keep repeating themselves. Or we lament the fact that our current life never quite seems to measure up to the memories we’ve created and recreated in our mind’s eye. But beloved, when we are reborn, we are made new in Christ. And if we will let Him, the Lord wants to do a new thing in our lives.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV

And in Isaiah, we learn that we should literally forget the past:

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43: 18-19, KJV

Let's not spend so much time trying to unravel the knots of our past that we miss the new thing the Lord is doing in our lives. Click To Tweet

Fixating on the future…

Just as scripture instructs us not to live in the past, it also warns against fixating on the future. Often our uncertainty about what is to come breeds anxiety and worry. But we learn that worry does not help us get through today.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34, NIV

Rather than worrying what the next day will bring, we are to make the most of each day. Just like the manna, or the daily bread, that the Israelites would receive every morning in the desert, we are given 24 hours of time daily. We can’t stretch those hours out any longer, and we can’t save any of them either. What we can do is trust that what is coming will be good, because God promises us that it will be:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

Indeed, He is leading us somewhere even better than we can arrange for ourselves or really even imagine:

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV

Living in the present…

With no regret from the past or fear of the future, we are free to fully live in the present. And that’s where the Lord invites us to reside. With Him.

To live in His presence in every moment. To learn to walk daily with Him, trusting that He is ordering our steps. To know that He will shoulder our burdens if we’ll cast our cares on Him. To trust that He will feed us like the sparrows and clothe us like the lilies of the field. To experience the joy that He has set before us. To taste and see that He is good in the land of the living. To enjoy and make the most of our time with our loved ones. To win souls for the kingdom. To live out the desires that He has placed in our hearts. To believe that He is Immanuel “God with us.” Right now.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11, NKJV

How are you making the most of this day? Have you left the past behind? Are you rooting your hope for the future in Jesus?

All of us need encouragement. Share this message with others!

Schalk Neethling

Psalm 23, Shepherd, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Shepherd: The Response to Those Who Can’t Get it Right

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 27, 2018June 27, 2019

Psalm 23 says the Lord is my Shepherd, but does that mean I am like a sheep? Read how the Lord responds to those of us who can’t seem to get it right.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1, NKJV

Despite loving and seeking to serve God for most of my life, at times I have sort-term memory loss when it comes to remembering His many-faceted, words-defying character. Also, sometimes it escapes my cluttered mind that God is the anchor of my soul in the storms of life…as cheesy as that sounds. (Think of the terrified apostles on the stormy sea and Jesus walking toward them telling them to ‘chill’.)

God’s Many Names

So… recently, I worked back through a Bible study by Kay Arthur entitled, Lord I Want to Know You. Within those pages, Arthur leads the reader throughout Scripture showing when God revealed a new characteristic of Himself to His people, Israel. With each one, a need they had was met and a new name for God was given to them.

I had done this study years ago, when I was gobbling up one Bible study after another, barely taking time for any root to develop. However, the many constellations surrounding my life have been colliding crazily and I needed a fresh reminder of the nature of my awe-inspiring Father. Many of the names of God spoke to my heart, but God as my Shepherd loomed large.

Psalm 23…

Psalm 23 has been dear to me for too many decades to count. I think I may have first memorized it in Vacation Bible School, if that tells you anything! (Don’t ever think kids aren’t taking something home in their hearts from VBS, moms!) When I suffer from insomnia, when anxiety is high or faith is low, my heart and mind often run to Psalm 23.

Being a shepherd himself, I understand David referring to God as a Shepherd. David could relate; it was his own lifestyle. He hung out on dusty mountainsides with smelly sheep all day every day. But that was then, this is now. How can a shepherd analogy work for today? Living today in the technological 21st century – can we truly be considered a bunch of dumb, sheep?…

A Flock of Sheep…

Uh…afraid so. At least that’s what Scripture declares.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the LORD has laid on [Jesus] the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6, ESV

For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

I Peter 2:25, ESV

Without a shepherd, sheep inevitably are aimless. They will munch themselves off of a cliff and will gladly eat or drink things that harm them. It’s just their basic nature. That sounds like a lot of people I know. Wait – it sounds like me!

The late journalist, scientist, and shepherd Phillip Keller wrote in, A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm:

It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways…Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound importance.

Yet, despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own and delights in caring for us.

The Tender Shepherd…

Often in Scripture, God refers to His people as sheep and He as their Shepherd. I believe it’s probably an analogy worth investigating, don’t you?

After strongly chastising the priests/shepherds of Israel for allowing the people/sheep to be scattered, God had a message of hope for the flock:

For thus says the LORD GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

Ezekial 34:11-12, NKJV

I can envision this word picture; can you? Whether physically or metaphorically, are there cloudy and dark days when your spirit feels pummeled? Do you long for your Lord to seek you out to comfort you? Sister, He IS!

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11, ESV

He will tend. He will gather in His arms. He will carry them. He will gently lead. My spirit is moved by the Shepherd’s tenderness. I wonder why we so often lose sight of this picture of God, this aspect of His character when He is on every page of Scripture!

The Good Shepherd…

In Luke 15:4-6, Jesus talked about leaving the 99 sheep and going after the ONE sheep that was lost. Then, what did He do? Berate the sheep? Beat it? NO! He placed it on His shoulders, carried it home, called His friends together and rejoiced!

If you were the one sheep who wandered off, the Good Shepherd would come after you.

Why? You may ask; He has others, others who don’t stray or who are less trouble.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:11-16, ESV

Precious sister, He knows you inside out. The good Shepherd knew we were sheep when He called us and knew the characteristics of sheep. He knew we were sheep when He laid down His life for us so that we could experience LIFE. Jesus would never abandon us. It’s against His nature.

He is the Good Shepherd.

All of us are a mess!
Share this message to encourage others who need to be reminded of God’s unrelenting love.

If you were the one sheep who wandered off, the Good Shepherd would come after you. Click To Tweet

Sam Carter

focus, dream, purpose, mission, worth, value, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Focus: The Most Important Step When Pursuing Our Purpose and Mission

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 26, 2018July 30, 2019

We need to be careful not to do this with our focus when we are pursuing dreams and fulfilling the purpose we believe we were meant to fulfill.

I was feeling discouraged. Why is it so difficult? Why, Lord? Then I heard in my spirit, “Rachael, stop trying to get everyone to like you. Love them, be kind to them, but how people respond to you or feel about you, is not your concern.” Ok, fine.

My longing and discouragement was deeper than that, though. So I made a decision. Instead of powering through and acting like I have my act together, putting on a show in front of the One who knows me intimately, I got honest. (Yes, sometimes my actions show that I believe I can actually fool the Lord. Ridiculous, I know.)

But what about you, Lord? Do you approve of me? Are you proud of me? I know I am approved, as in I know I am loved and am a child of You, the King. But do you approve of what I’m doing? I need something here, Lord! I’m not doing this for popularity, or something to keep me busy. I’m doing this because I have followed the direction of Your Holy Spirit one scary step at a time. Now I am in this place, and I’m wondering if I took a wrong turn somewhere.

A couple hours went by while I replenished my low endorphin supply with exercise. When I returned to my phone, a few confirmations were waiting for me. Validation. “Yes, what you are doing has worth. Yes, you are valued.”

Driving back home, I was feeling lighter, and it was not just because of the endorphins. It honestly made me feel special that the Lord, the Creator of the Universe, truly cares about each of us intimately. My hurt was seen, and He knew I was in need of Fatherly encouragement.

Focus on the mission…

Then, later in the afternoon, the reminder came of why He has led me on this path. Turns out, it is not about me feeling valued, it about others knowing their value. This mission I am on is not about me, or getting that pat on the back. This mission is about finding freedom, and joy, and hope. It’s about people becoming – truly becoming – who they were created to be.

Yes, I love approval, who doesn’t enjoy a good compliment? It is so easy to get sucked into the mindset of it being about me. Almost 100% of the time, when I begin to feel discouraged, or insecure, it is because my focus has shifted to where it does not belong.

It is the Lord who fulfills me. It is this mission that makes me feel alive. The Lord is who brings me joy, the mission brings purpose. I love this mission I am on, and I believe I am doing what the Lord wants me to do. But more than that, He wants my heart. Only when He has all of my heart does He reveal the next step to take in pursuing mission and purpose.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33, ESV

Focus on our purpose…

Purpose looks different for each of us, and this is so beautiful to me. But I do forget it at times. Sometimes I think everyone has the same purpose as myself, and then I feel like, why bother – she has so much more talent, she knows more people, she, she, she…

In actuality, if we stop looking at other people, and look to our Creator, we will find our own specific purpose and see how it all works together to glorify the Lord. We will see the value each of us hold, and how we need one another. We will be fulfilled by the Lover of our soul, be confident in the value we have, and motivated by the purpose we have been given.

God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

1 Corinthians 12:6, NLT

If we stop looking at other people, and look to our Creator, we will find our own specific purpose and see how it all works together to glorify the Lord. Click To Tweet

Focus on The Lord…

What is your mission? What dreams are you pursuing? And what purpose makes you feel alive?

Remember that the mission you are on does not define who you are. It is not your identity, or where you find your worth. If you find yourself holding on too tight to the dream that was place in your heart, I urge you to take a moment, and evaluate where your focus is, and where it needs to be. Yes, we are created for good works, but we are first created to worship.

xoxo

Sharon McCutcheon

poverty, rich, abundant, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Poverty: Being Poor in Spirit, We Can Receive God’s Abundant Riches

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 25, 2018September 8, 2019

Our poverty in spirit makes us feel useless. But because Jesus came to be poor, we can live above our impoverishment and be abundantly rich.

Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites..so he called his disciples to him and said…[they] gave out of their abundance but she out of her poverty…

Mark 12: 43-44, NKJV

I’ll never forget the first few years of marriage. My husband Rodney and I had 2 degrees, and a lot of love, and a little debt. Our premarital counseling was full of plans and nice budgeting charts. I knew we were suppose to struggle early on. It was normal for couples to save, and in time build a life. Poverty really wasn’t on my radar.

My Poverty…

I was marrying a minister, and he had a masters to work on. That would require sacrifice, hard work, and delay. We started a family, and then we had our third child. All my well made plans came to a halt. Because of his health, we started the road down Medicaid, and disability, and specialist, and therapies. One week in the hospital ran into thousands and thousands of dollars. I was in the midst of poverty. But, my poverty was not just financial. It was spiritual, physical, and emotional. I was spent in every way. Depleted and dry.

Attending church in the middle of the chaos became the only praise I could muster. I was getting no sleep, and I had a toddler and a kindergartener. My husband worked full time and went to school full time. My third child went on oxygen around the clock and I was at the end of my rope. The community Bible study I was in was studying 2 Corinthians and one verse leaped off the pages at me.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9, NKJV

His Poverty…

Can you wrap your mind around that? The king of the universe Jesus, the Son, poor? He owns it all. Every knee will bow before him one day. He became impoverished for me. My savior willingly gave all away so that I could be rich. The riches I own are not the kind I can put in the bank, though God has taken care of every financial need we have ever had. The riches I own are not always supernatural strength or intellect. My body can be tired and my heart can be very broken. My child is still sick 16 years later. But, my Jesus is enough. My heart can trust in His finished work.

[Jesus] made himself of no reputation taking the form of a servant…

Romans 2:7, NKJV

Why would he willingly take on poverty? Why would he willingly become nothing? The only answer is to reconcile us to God.

For there is only one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and humanity- the man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5, NLT

Abundant Riches…

While I fight being impoverished in every way, Christ poured himself out willingly. This can be a lesson for me in so many ways.

Jesus allowed himself to be a humble servant. I can follow his example and willing serve others within in my sphere. I can also allow others to serve me when I am poor and depleted.

Poverty in mind, body and spirit may make me feel useless, but it is not the worst place to be. The worst place to be is without Christ. Christ can inhabit my meager widow’s mite and use it for great kingdom work. My sufficiency is not based on my own riches but on his.

God himself can be my supply. I have not liked the dependence having a chronically ill child has brought, but I have seen miracles and provision in ways that I could have never imagined. I may fight neediness but I am needy. The cross proved that and has given the antidote- my surrender.

What about you? How is God speaking to your heart about your own poverty? Do you know him and his rich grace? Are you fighting his ability to speak into your own poverty? Do you think you have to fix it all yourself?

He is enough for today and for every tomorrow.

We are constantly bombarded with lies and discouragement.
Help us in our mission to bombard others with truth.
Share the encouragement!

Poverty in mind, body and spirit may make me feel useless, but it is not the worst place to be. The worst place to be is without Christ. Click To Tweet

Jesse Bowser

overwhelmed, equipped, surrender, power, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, ministry

Equipped: Surrendering Our Lives for God’s Power

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 20, 2018September 8, 2019

When we belong to God, we are equipped with His Power for every season of life, every instance, every circumstance. Surrendering our lives to this truth is essential in our walk with the Lord.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV

Equipped. This word has been burning my ears for about a month now. It is a word I spoke over a stranger at a women’s conference, and a word that God continues to sprinkle around for me to pay attention to. If we know anything about God, it’s that He is constant, consistent, and relentless. Sometimes, He allows us to break so we can truly understand His whispers to our souls.

That’s what it took for me. A complete break down…

Surrendering…

Motherhood

If you could see my hair right now, you would believe I am currently the poster woman and the face of all tired moms in the world. I need a shower. Maybe some dry shampoo. Did I wear deodorant today?

Don’t judge me.

I would love to say I handle all that motherhood throws at me from a posture of grace, but I can’t and I won’t. I was having a particularly awful day, full of tantrums and tears. Overwhelmed with confusion, procrastination, and not being able to find the right shoes. That doesn’t even include what the kids were doing.

Then it happened; I said it. Through the sobbing and the blubbering… “I don’t want to be around any of you. I don’t enjoy being a mom right now. I hate this!”

Now before judging me again, I did not say this to my kids. My poor husband had to wade through the mess, and with his approval, I gave myself a Mommy-time-out.

Marriage

I forgot to mention that in the same breath I told my husband I didn’t enjoy being a mom, I also said I didn’t enjoy being a wife. Y’all, I am so thankful Casey is equipped to handle me at my worst. He could filter through the words and truly hear what I was saying.

I needed to take a step away. To remember the pride I had once felt in being his help mate. He knew that God needed to speak to me and I needed to hear Him. I couldn’t do that with all the distractions. It was obvious I needed a quiet place.

Ministry

I also took a ministry-time-out. It was only for two days, but it really helped me evaluate the time and energy I was pouring into tasks. To see the God-ordained missions I had abandoned while doing “Kingdom missions.”

You see, when I feel like I’m not doing a great job at something, I distract myself with something different. I do things I know I’m good at, instead of relying on God’s power to fill in my gaps. I was feeling ill equipped for motherhood and wifehood, so I poured myself into tasks and masking them as advancements for the Kingdom.

Equipped with Power…

I was doing all of these things on my own power, with my own tool box. I ran out of mommy-juice, wife-fuel, and I was starting to run out of ministry energy. All because I forgot, it’s not by my power but the power of God in me.

…for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

Philippians 4:13, TLB

It doesn’t matter what special areas are in your life. Maybe you aren’t a mother or a wife. Your life is specifically you. Hear me, you are equipped for this time and the times to come because of the power of Christ in you.

You are equipped for this time and the times to come because of the power of Christ in you. Click To Tweet

Y’all, I believe that God is bringing “equipped” to my attention, because He wants me to rest. Stop running in circles, trying to do it all in my own power. Rest in the truth that whatever is right now or comes along the way, I am already equipped because HE is equipped.

Laura Vinck